Nick Smith’s fingerprints over cover-up

Housing New Zealand has confirmed Nick Smith’s office had a hand in covering up embarrassing information exposing National MPs rorting taxpayer-funding to campaign, Labour’s State Services spokesperson Kris Faafoi says.

“Housing New Zealand has confirmed the Minister’s office blanked out sections of an Official Information Act response which exposed National List MP Parmjeet Parmar using taxpayer money to ‘raise local profile’ in the event of a by-election in Mount Roskill.

“Text, which was redacted in three places in the released documents, was accidently left in, in another section.

“The pressure is now on Nick Smith’s office to admit he was trying to conceal this to prevent embarrassment for the Government.

“The buck stops with Nick Smith. He has been caught out arrogantly thumbing his nose at the Official Information Act, legislation which promotes transparency and good government.

“It’s clear Mr Smith has failed the transparency and good government test,” Kris Faafoi says.

The State Services Commission and Housing New Zealand continue to investigate this issue.